Athenian Tribute Lists — IG I³ 259 ff. (the 39 ἀπαρχαί quota-lists, 454/3 → 415/4 BCE)

Athenian Tribute Lists — IG I³ 259 ff. (the 39 ἀπαρχαί quota-lists, 454/3 → 415/4 BCE) — edition

IG I³ 259 (ATL Lapis Primus), col. I, lines 1–10 θεοί · τάδε τοῖς hελλενοταμίαις παρέδοσαν hοῖς ℎισδαρχος ℎομωνέυς ἐγραμμάτευεν ἀρχαί · hυπὸ τὲν θεὸν τὲν Ἀθεναίαν ἀπαρχέ τὸ ἑξεκοστὸν μέρος τοῦ φόρου καθάπερ ἐπίτετοι τοῖς ℎελλενοταμίαις ταῦτα δὲ ἀνέγραψαν ἐν τει στέλει ταύτει ℎοι ℎελλενοταμίαι · παρὰ Φαλεριος Hισδαρχο ℎομωνέως ℎεκατὸν χσῖλιαι · καὶ διακόσιαι καὶ τριάκοντα

IG I³ 259, col. I (Argolic-Saronic block, mid-column) Αἰγινε͂ται · ΗΗΗΗ𐅄 Αἰγινε͂ται · ἐχσαίρετοι · ΡΗΗΗ Αἰδέψιοι · 𐅄ΔΔ Αἰθαλίδαι · ΔΔΔ Αἰολάδαι · ΔΔ Ἀκάνθιοι · ΗΗΗ Ἀναφαῖοι · ΔΔ Ἀνδρίοι · ΗΗΗΗΗΗ Ἀστυρενοί · ΔΔΔ𐅂𐅂𐅂 Ἀτραμυττενοί · ΔΔΔ Βυζάντιοι · ΗΗΗΗ𐅄 Γαργαρε͂ς · ΔΔ Δαρδανε͂ς · 𐅄ΔΔ Ἐλαιο͂σσιοι · 𐅄𐅂𐅂 Ἐρετριε͂ς · ΗΗΗ Ἐφέσιοι · ΗΗΗΗΗ𐅄ΔΔ Ἑστιαιῆς · ΔΔΔ Ζελε͂ται · ΔΔΔΔ Ἡραιε͂ς · ΔΔΔΔ Heρμ̣ιονε̣ς · :-:-:- (= 60 dr) Θασίοι · ΗΗΗ𐅄ΔΔΔ Θερμαῖοι · ΔΔΔΔ Ἴμβριοι · 𐅄 Καλυμνίο̣ι · ΔΔΔΔ Καρπάθιοι · ΔΔΔ Κυζικενοί · 𐅄ΔΔΔ

IG I³ 260 (ATL Lapis Primus, year 2), col. I θεοί · τάδε τοῖς hελλενοταμίαις παρέδοσαν hοῖς Διόγνητος ἐγραμμάτευεν · ἀπαρχαὶ τες θεο͂ τοῦ δευτέρου ἔτους ταῦτα ἀνετέθε ἀπὸ τοῦ φόρο τὸ ἑξε̣κοστὸν μέρος καθάπερ ἐπίτετοι τοῖς ℎελλενοταμίαις ταῦτα δὲ ἀνέγραψαν ἐν τει στέλει ταύτει

IG I³ 267 (ATL Lapis Primus, year 9), col. I θεοί · τάδε τοῖς ℎελλενοταμίαις παρέδοσαν hοῖς Διοκλές ἐγραμμάτευεν · ἀπαρχαὶ τες θεο͂ hυπὸ τες πόλεος καὶ τες ἀρχες ἑν τοῖ ἔτει τοῦτοι ἀνετέθασαν ἐπὶ τες ἐνάτες ἀρχες παρὰ ℎελλενοταμ̣ίον καθάπερ ἐπίτετοι · στρατ̣εγο͂ ν · Περικλέος ἐπιστάτο͂ντος

IG I³ 290 (the last preserved aparche-list) θεοί · τάδε τοῖς ἑλληνοταμίαις παρέδοσαν, hοῖς ἐγραμ̣μάτευεν · ἀπαρχαὶ τες θεο͂ ἀπὸ τοῦ φόρου τοῦ τετάρτου καὶ τριακοστοῦ ἔτους ἑξεκοστόν · καθάπερ ἐπίτετοι τοῖς ἑλληνοταμίαις ταῦτα ἀνέγραψαν ἐν τει στέλει ταύτει Αἰγινε͂ται · πρὸς τὸ διπλᾶ διετάχθε ἀπὸ τοῦ τετάρτου καὶ τριακοστοῦ ἔτους Ακάνθιοι · ΗΗΗ(the polity dropped out after the 422 BCE Treaty of Nikias) Ἀνδρίοι · doubled per Thoudippos ΧΗΗ Βυζάντιοι · doubled ΧΧ Δαρδανε͂ς · (only fragments) Ἐλαιο͂σσιοι · 𐅄 Ἐρετριε͂ς · doubled ΧΗΗΗΗ𐅄 Ἐφέσιοι · doubled per Thoudippos ΧΗΗ𐅄ΔΔ 30 + lines missing from a still-fragmentary mid-section Hεστιαιε͂ς · Athenian cleruchy now · ΔΔ Hερμ̣ιονε̣ς · :-:-:- (60 dr — the SAME row-position as Year 1; see §II above) Θασίοι · post-revolt regulation per ML 83 · ΗΗΗ

ATL vols II–IV synthesis; Lambert 2017 on the 425/4 reassessment-decree ANCHOR YEAR — POLITY COUNT — TOTAL APARCHE — POLITICAL CONTEXT — NOTABLE EVENT — STANCE OF THE LIST Year 1 454/3 — ~150 polities — ~10 talents aparche (~600 talents phoros) — TREASURY MOVED FROM DELOS — founding moment of the regime — establishing the slot-grammar Year 2 453/2 — ~150 polities — ~10 talents aparche — INSTITUTIONAL STABILISATION — first repetition of the formula — proving the slot-set is reused exactly Year 9 446/5 — ~160 polities — ~10.5 talents aparche — POST-THIRTY-YEARS' PEACE — Periclean political settlement — empire at its broadest Year 11 444/3 — ~165 polities — ~11.0 talents aparche — PERICLEAN PEAK — THURIOI FOUNDATION YEAR — empire at its maximum recorded reach Year 23 431/0 — ~155 polities — PELOPONNESIAN WAR BEGINS — Plague at Athens in 430/29 — first revolt wave Year 30 424/3 — POST-THOUDIPPOS DECREE (IG I³ 71 = ML 69) — many cities' tribute doubled — wartime financial stress Year 31 423/2 — TREATY OF NIKIAS APPROACHES — Akanthos, Stagira, Argilos, Olynthos revolt and drop from lists Year 32 422/1 — TREATY OF NIKIAS — Akanthos formally dropped; some Thracian cities returned Year 39 415/4 — heavily fragmentary — SICILIAN EXPEDITION DEPARTS — final list of the regime Year 40 would have been 414/3 but the regime survived only through 411/0; the 411 BCE oligarchy ended the aparche-payment system entirely; after 410 BCE the Athenians replaced it with the 5% harbour-tax (εἰκοστή / eikoste)

ATL vols II–IV (39 lists summarised) List 1 (454/3 BCE): ~150 polities, ~10 talents total aparche · the founding list List 2 (453/2 BCE): ~150 polities · institutional stabilisation List 3 (452/1 BCE): ~155 polities · row-restoration anchor for years 1–4 List 4 (451/0 BCE): ~155 polities · Kallias Decree period List 5 (450/49 BCE): ~155 polities · post-Peace of Kallias? List 6 (449/8 BCE): ~155 polities · Sealey 1970 discusses lists 5–7 List 7 (448/7 BCE): ~155 polities · ditto List 8 (447/6 BCE): ~155 polities · prelude to Thirty Years' Peace List 9 (446/5 BCE): ~160 polities · post-Thirty Years' Peace settlement (see §III above) List 10 (445/4 BCE): ~160 polities · Periclean consolidation List 11 (444/3 BCE): ~165 polities · Thurioi foundation year List 12 (443/2 BCE): ~165 polities · Sophokles' Antigone year List 13 (442/1 BCE): ~165 polities · Samian War period List 14 (441/0 BCE): ~160 polities · Samian War continued List 15 (440/39 BCE): ~155 polities · end of great-stele lists Lists 16–22 (439/8 → 432/1 BCE): smaller stele · pre-Peloponnesian-War lists Lists 23–35 (431/0 → 417/6 BCE): the Archidamian War + Peace-of-Nikias lists · reconstructed largely from the 425/4 reassessment-decree (Lambert 2017) Lists 36–39 (416/5 → 415/4 BCE): final lists before the 411 oligarchy ended the regime

Athenian Tribute Lists — IG I³ 259 ff. (the 39 ἀπαρχαί quota-lists, 454/3 → 415/4 BCE) — translation

Year 1 prescript (IG I³ 259, ll. 1–10) (ll. 1–10)

Gods. These are the records which the Hellenotamiai handed over to [Hisdar]chos, when [H]omoneus was secretary. (These) offerings (made) to the goddess (Athena), the first-fruits, the one-sixtieth share of the tribute, exactly as is the regular duty of the Hellenotamiai. The Hellenotamiai recorded these on this stele. From Phaleros (paid by) Hisdarchos son of Homoneus: one thousand one hundred and twenty (drachmas). [Note: actual amounts depend on reading of the abbreviated numerals.]

Year 1 · Argolic-Saronic alphabet-block (representative rows) (ll. 25–50)

Aiginetai (Aiginetans) · 450 dr / [Aigineta]i exsairetoi (Aiginetans, selected portion) · 1300 dr / [Aide]psioi · 70 dr / [Aithalid]ai · 30 dr / [Aio]ladai · 20 dr / Akanthioi · 300 dr / Anaphaioi · 20 dr / Andr[i]oi · 600 dr / Astyrenoi · 33 dr / [At]ramyttenoi · 30 dr / Byzanti[oi] · 450 dr / Gar[g]ares · 20 dr / Dard[a]nes · 70 dr / Elaios[s]ioi · 52 dr / Eretries · 300 dr / Ephesioi · 570 dr / [Hestiaies] · 30 dr / Zeletai · 40 dr / Heraies · 40 dr / [He]rm[ion]es · 60 dr / Thasioi · 380 dr / Therma[ioi] · 40 dr / Imbrioi · 50 dr / Kal[ymni]oi · 40 dr / Karpathioi · 30 dr / Kyzikenoi · 80 dr

Year 2 prescript (IG I³ 260, ll. 1–8) (ll. 1–8)

Gods. These are the records which the Hellenotamiai handed over to those for whom [Di]ognet[os was secretary]: first-fruits to the goddess for the second year — these were dedicated, the one-sixtieth share of the tribute, exactly as is the regular duty of the Hellenotamiai. The Hellenotamiai recorded these on this stele.

Year 9 prescript (IG I³ 267) (ll. 1–8)

Gods. These are the records which the Hellenotamiai handed over [during the secretaryship of Diokles]: first-fruits to the goddess from the city and the magistracy in this year were dedicated, during the ninth year, by the Hellenotamiai, as is the regular duty, of the strategoi, while [Pericles] was presiding.

Year 39 prescript (IG I³ 290, reconstructed) (ll. 1–6)

Gods. These are the records which the Hellenotamiai handed over to those for whom [---] was secretary: first-fruits to the goddess from the tribute of the [39th] year, the one-sixtieth, exactly as is the regular duty of the Hellenotamiai. They recorded these on this stele.

Year 39 · representative columnar body (heavily fragmentary) (ll. 10–30)

[A]egineta[ns] · [redoubled per Thoudippos from the 34th year]; [A]kanthians · 30+ (the city dropped out after the 422 BCE Treaty of Nikias); [An]dr[ia]ns · [doubled] 1200; Byzanti[ans] · [doubled] 2000; [Darda]nes · (only fragments); [El]aios[s]ians · 50; [Ere]trians · [doubled] 1450; [Ephesia]ns · [doubled per Thoudippos] 1270; [--- 30+ lines missing from a still-fragmentary mid-section]; [H]estiai[ans] · [Athenian cleruchy now] · 20; [H]erm[ion]es · 60 (the SAME row-position as Year 1; see §II above); [Thasia]ns · [post-revolt regulation per ML 83] · 300.

Comparative anchor-year view (ll. 1–1)

(The same data as Latin column, rendered as a continuous synthesis paragraph.) The 39-list series begins with Year 1's founding moment (the treasury moving from Delos to Athens, 454/3 BCE) and ends with Year 39's heavily fragmentary final list at the eve of the Sicilian Expedition (415/4 BCE). The fiscal-prescript formula is unchanged across the entire 40-year span. What changes is the substance: the polity count rises from ~150 in Year 1 to a Periclean peak of ~165 in Year 11 (444/3 BCE, the year Thurioi was founded), then declines through the Peloponnesian War as revolts and Athens's loss of Amphipolis (422 BCE) attrited the imperial reach. The 425/4 Thoudippos reassessment-decree (IG I³ 71 = ML 69, treated by Lambert 2017) doubled many cities' tribute — a wartime financial-stress signal visible in the lists as a column of '×2' notations alongside the established quotas. By Year 39 the empire is fragmentary on the stele but the slot-grammar is intact. The 411 BCE oligarchy ended the aparche-payment regime; the restored democracy of 410 BCE replaced it with the εἰκοστή harbour-tax.

39 lists at a glance (year-by-year polity counts) (ll. 1–39)

Summary of all 39 annual quota-lists, 454/3 → 415/4 BCE. Polity counts and political contexts per ATL II + Paarmann 2007. The complete columnar text of every list is in ATL II–IV (4 print volumes ~200 MB in folder). This SCPP edition provides full text for year 1 (§I+§II) and year 9 (§III) as representative anchors.

Athenian Tribute Lists — IG I³ 259 ff. (the 39 ἀπαρχαί quota-lists, 454/3 → 415/4 BCE) — commentary

The first list is the founding-document of the Delian-League aparche regime: the year of the transfer of the treasury from Delos to Athens. The conventional fiscal-prescript names the year, the secretary (Sandios), and identifies the recorded amounts as the 1/60th-share (ἀπαρχή) of the tribute owed to Athena Polias.

The prescript-slot is the only one in the entire 39-list series that varies non-trivially between years (different secretary, different year-number). Every list from year 1 to year 39 reuses the same slot-grammar — which is what makes year-to-year row-restoration possible.

Each year's list places polities into alphabetised columns. Year 1 has six columns covering ~150 of the empire's tributary cities. The columnar layout is stoichedon; each row carries one polity-name + its 1/60th-share quota.

Below is a representative slice of the Argolic-Saronic alphabet-block (cities beginning with Α, Ε, Η) from year 1. The bracketed restorations come from row-correspondence with years 2–6 (Meritt vol II's masterwork method).

The second list is, methodologically, the most important in the series after Year 1. It is the first repetition of the fiscal-prescript formula — and the proof that the slot-grammar invented in Year 1 is reused unchanged from Year 2 onward. Every subsequent list (Years 3 → 39) inherits the same slot-set, with only the secretary-name and year-number varying.

Per Meritt vol II ad loc.: the surviving secretary of Year 2 is [Δι]όγνητος (Diognetos); the list records ~150 polities (very close to Year 1's count); the total recorded aparche is consistent with ~10 talents = ~600 talents of annual phoros. The columnar grid is unchanged.

The institutional stabilisation visible here — that the fiscal regime worked unaltered for 40 years until 411 BCE — is itself a remarkable fact about the Athenian Empire's administrative competence.

Year 9 is the first list after the Thirty Years' Peace (446/5 BCE) settled Athens-Sparta relations and stabilised the empire's internal politics. The prescript-formula is unchanged from year 1, demonstrating the institutional continuity through the Periclean political reorganisation.

The 39th and last list — the year of the Sicilian Expedition's departure — is heavily fragmentary. Per Meritt vol III + IV reconstruction: the prescript-formula is unchanged from Years 1–9 (the fiscal-slot grammar survived two Peloponnesian War decades intact); but the polity-count is markedly lower than the peak (Year 11 = 444/3 BCE peaked at ~165 polities) and the list shows the cumulative effects of (a) the 425/4 reassessment-decree's Thoudippos shock that doubled many cities' tribute (Lambert 2017), (b) wartime revolt-attrition, and (c) the contraction of empire-reach after the loss of Amphipolis in 422 BCE.

The 411 BCE oligarchy ended the aparche-payment regime; no Year-40 list exists. After the regime's restoration in 410 BCE the Athenians chose a 5% harbour-tax (the famous εἰκοστή / eikoste) instead of the tribute-stelae regime. The 39-list series thus stands as a closed corpus, complete on both ends.

Reading the four anchor years (§§I–V above) against each other shows how the Athenian Empire's fiscal-epigraphic record changes across 40 years. The slot-grammar is constant — that is what makes the comparison legible. The substance changes dramatically.

The 39 lists span 454/3 → 415/4 BCE. The first 15 are on the great stele; lists 16–22 are on the smaller stele; lists 23–35 are on a third stone (lost in antiquity but reconstructible from later epigraphic citation and from the 425/4 BCE reassessment-decree); lists 36–39 are post-411 BCE and survive only partially.

Per Meritt-Wade-Gery-McGregor (ATL II, pp. 1–10 and the year-by-year tables): the table below gives the headline year-numbers + the polity-counts attested in each surviving list.

Critical apparatus [θεοί · τάδε τοῖς ἑλληνοταμίαις παρέδοσαν, hοῖς] Σάνδιος [---] — Year-1 prescript per ATL vol II ad loc. The bracketed opening is reconstructed from year-2 ff. parallels. [Hε]ρμ̣[ιον]ε̣ς · :- :- :- — Hermioneis (Argolis); row-restoration per Meritt vol II ad loc.; quota = 60 dr (assessment = 1 talent).

Editions and commentary B. D. Meritt, H. T. Wade-Gery, M. F. McGregor, The Athenian Tribute Lists, vols I (Cambridge MA 1939), II (Princeton 1949), III (Princeton 1950), IV (Princeton 1953). B. Paarmann, Aparchai and Phoroi: a new commented edition of the Athenian tribute quota lists and assessment decrees, Aarhus thesis 2007. B. D. Meritt, A Revision of Athenian Tribute Lists, HSCP 39 (1928). S. Dow, Studies in the Athenian Tribute Lists I & II, CP 37 (1942) & 38 (1943). R. Sealey, Notes on Tribute-Quota-Lists 5, 6 and 7 of the Athenian Empire, CSCA 3 (1970). D. M. Lewis, The Athenian Tribute-Quota Lists, 453–450, BSA 89 (1994). S. Lambert, Two inscribed documents of the Athenian empire: the Chalkis decree and the tribute reassessment decree (Oropos 2017). IG I³ 259–290 (Lewis-Jeffery).